Staff

Staff

TRSA Staff

Get to know the Nerd Herd

KenDavis

Co-Executive Director

MarkDalton

Co-Executive Directory

XanBlack

Program Director

Xan Black is the Program Director of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA). Xan’s drive, passions, and leadership of the Alliance supports all aspects of STEM education. She aligns the experience and wisdom of community partners with the need of educators and schools. She is responsible for project management, strategic planning, program implementation and more. Xan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University in 1981. She worked for eight years in the energy industry in Oklahoma. In 2007, Xan earned a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Middle and Secondary School from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. She taught secondary math and science for 11 years at Mingo Valley Christian School. Xan and her husband, Jeff, have five adult children and have lived in Tulsa since 1990.

Emily Mortimer is a rural Missouri native with a B.S. in Biology from Missouri State University, M.S. in Teaching, Learning and Leadership from OSU and currently pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and STEM from OSU. Her professional experience includes 14 years in informal education at the Tulsa Zoo and Dickerson Park Zoo. Over the years, her main job duties included behavioral training for various bird and mammal species, volunteer management, community partnerships, program development, curriculum writing, and education department management. Eight years ago she was member of the founding team for the teacher professional development program, SENSEsational Science, which is now a TRSA program and has served over 400 Oklahoma teachers and given out over 32,000 hours of PD. As a program manager at TRSA, Emily’s main job duties include overseeing the Tulsa Resource Area for STEM Educators (TRASE) including STEM cart and kit development, OK Women in STEM and managing the SENSEsational Science program.

When not at work, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband and young son building and exercising on American Ninja Warrior Obstacles in their backyard, hiking, gardening, baking, swimming and running.

Jaime Christensen is the Office Manager and Events Coordinator for TRSA. She has a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector and is excited to join in TRSA’s efforts to develop STEM in the Tulsa area. She previously worked as a marketing and public relations professional at a trade association in Dallas. She has a strong background in events and communications. Jaime graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah with a Bachelor of Business in Event Planning and a minor in marketing. She is an active member of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Outside of work, Jaime enjoys baking, playing soccer and spending time with her dog.

Josh Walton has joined the TRSA team as the Data and Evaluation Coordinator. Josh is focusing research on program effectiveness and impact within organizations as he pursues his graduate degree in human relations at OU-Tulsa. Since moving to Tulsa three years ago, he has been active in nonprofits benefiting Tulsa education. He hopes to continue this passion within the STEM field, further strengthening youth education in the process.

Away from work, Josh enjoys running, disc-golf, hiking, and playing with his dog, Iris.

Andrew Perrine is the Mentorship and Volunteer Program Manager for TRSA. He has had a lifelong obsession with all things STEM, and he is focused on providing a high-quality experience for students utilizing a well-trained, impassioned volunteer program. For the last three years, he has been involved with nonprofit STEM education, both in and out of the classroom, and hopes to impact a broader array of students through TRSA.

In his free time, Andrew enjoys making music, spending time with his wife, and playing with his dog, Lucy.

Aleia McNaney is an AmeriCorps VISTA serving her second year of service as a Communications Systems Coordinator for TRSA. Originally from North Carolina, she moved to Tulsa in the fall of 2016. Aleia has a BA in Communication from Regent University. Her experience includes an internship in her congressman’s D.C. office as well as a communications internship with a nonprofit working to fight human trafficking in Virginia Beach.

In her free time, Aleia enjoys hiking, laughing at her own puns, and bread.